Seasonal Shock
by The Real Cookie Monster
Summary: At first you were just one of Torikabuto's A rank soldiers, but once you became the co-assistant of the Millefiore boss; your life turned upside down. Now juggling your duties, your loyalties, and your own sanity, you must find your place or go down tryin
1. Encounter

Seasonal Shock

Encounter - 1

You were one of Torikabuto's A rank "servants". The best, the most elite at what you do. The difference is you weren't THE best. Though, that never bothered you as much as it did Genkishi, you were starting to wish you could have been the rightful owner of the mist Mare ring. You sometimes pondered that maybe you could kill off Torikabuto, but you would surely face Byakuran's wrath. Byakuran…

* * *

><p>Not that you particularly minded your position under Torikabuto, but the long missions and over orderly nights were taking a toll on you. Then one day Torikabuto called you into that place The Real Six Funeral Wreaths call a home. He told you that Byakuran-sama has taken an interest in you, and that he requests that you work along with Leonardo Lippi as an assistant.<p>

You were stunned that your true boss had taken that much of a notice in you, but none the less it was not your place to argue. You were still required to fulfill the assignments Torikabuto assigned you, and you were not allowed go mention the R.F.W. to anyone who isn't a part of it. This included your partner Leo, but those rules aside you were given much more freedom then before. Reason being that Byakuran has far too many tasks for his assistants to do…

* * *

><p>So to the present. You now stood outside Byakuran-SAMA's office. –You were told to always refer to him formally now, lest you want to deal with the consequences– You were shaking a little, nervously twisting you tied up auburn hair. You were given a typical white spell Millefiore uniform which only increased your uneasiness, since it clung just about everywhere. It made you feel unprofessional and generally uncomfortable.<p>

You heard a '_come in'_ from the far end of the room. You then gently pushed the door open and walked in, your heels clicking against the floor loudly. You walk in to the pale white room to find Byakuran staring out his large window while calmly eating a bag of marshmallows. "Nwah, Juai-chwam! I'we bween spect-terin s-su!" Byakuran chewed.

You tried very hard not to laugh, but a slight giggle left your lips. Realizing what you had done you quickly cover your mouth and apologize. Byakuran laughed at you though, which caused you to blush. "I look forward to working with you Byakuran-sama." You announced while bowing a little.

This caused a slight frown to come across his face as he continued to eat his sweets. "Neh, Zai-chan? You don't need to add the "sama" at the end. It sounds too stuffy. Leo-kun did the same thing when he started." You tried to say his name without the "sama", but were too afraid to. So, another frown tugged on his pale face. "Hmm. Well, I don't particularly like being called "chan" myself. Let's see, I suppose you could use "san" at the end like Shou-chan does…"

"Ok, um, Byakuran… -san… Nice to meet you. Zaiga Honalo of Torikabuto's second branch." You recovered. Your new boss waved of your formal introduction as though he got plenty of those a day. You then began to fidget once again at the uncomfortable silence, not knowing if you should show yourself out or wait for more instructions.

Byakuran sighed a little when he turned his head to face you once again, "You know Zai-chan, the way you act makes it seem like I'm going to eat you. Then again, I'm used to it. Sometimes I wish I could have a decent conversation with someone without having them tense up. You know, casual but respectable at the same time. Unfortunately, everyone in this place is too focused on my title rather than my face."

Suddenly, your body started to move on its own. Your legs trotted slowly, almost unsurely, toward your new boss. You then start on the white couch near his desk and gave him a kind smile, "Well if there's anything you want to say, I'm willing to listen. Not for your title, but because I want to hear what you have to say. Byakuran-san."

He looked genuinely surprised, but the expression only lasted for a few minutes. He found you amusing, being able to recover from your nervousness like that. Then again, Torikabuto had said that you were one of his best. Though, the young boss had always doubted the masked man, he was beginning to see why Torikabuto found Zai-chan so fascinating. He decided he would keep you around, for now.

"Byakuran-san?" You gave him a slight look of confusion, which brought him back to reality. In a few seconds his calm cheery disposition returned and Byakuran Gesso's mask was still firm in place.

"Neh, Zai-chan, I think your accommodations are ready, so go get settled and report to me tomorrow!" Byakuran exclaimed with a sugar coated voice. You gracefully stood from your position on the couch and strode toward the large steel doors, and as you were about to leave Byakuran added, "Wait! You should meet Leo-kun, since you two will be working together from now on ! He's probably in the male housings, or he might be in one of the white spell parlors. You should go see him since he will be your only co-worker!" Byakuran waved at you as you left the blindingly white room.

* * *

><p>You could still hear your heels click against the marble floors as you walked toward the white spell housing. This was in some ways your true beginning. Not that you didn't enjoy your time as an underling for Torikabuto, but you had always imagined that you would have some other purpose than dying at the hands of a Mafioso. You looked forward to it; a change, a breath of fresh air! You could feel it, you were going to exceed all expectations that you had set on your life, all because of this one small transfer. Oh yes, you could tell.<p>

* * *

><p>Byakuran smirked to himself. You seemed pleasant enough, he could play with you for a little while before throwing you back to Torikabuto. There was no denying your strength as an illusionist, but as a piece in this game you were of the lowest rank. A pawn, a level one fighter, a newbie in an online game; you could only hold his amusement for so long because of your rank. Maybe you will surprise him like you did today. Since you had done it once it was possible you could do it again. Hmm. We'll see.<p> 


	2. Let, is, I, a

Seasonal Shock

Let-is-I-a: 2

* * *

><p>Your heels, which now no longer clicked since you were on carpet, hurt terribly; not to mention your suit was starting to restrict air flow as well. Turning the corner you came to a small door that read 'Women's lodging'. Sounded like a ski resort to you… Name aside, you pushed the heavily frosted glass door and walked inside.<p>

You arrived to a blinding white room with white desks and chairs (this was expected since your boss seemed to love white). You uncomfortably shuffled up to the front desk while biting your lower lip out of nervousness. The woman sitting behind the desk shot you a bored look and went back to blowing on her freshly painted nails. "Name?"

It took you a minute to register her words since your mind was currently clouded. You were soon taken out of your nervousness when she asked you again, but this time in an angrier tone. "Zaiga Honalo!" You squeaked.

"Hn," The woman shuffled through some papers before pulling out one. "Alright Zaiga Honalo, your room number's 372, and it's on the third floor. Now leave." The woman tossed you the keys and shooed you down the hall.

* * *

><p>When you entered the room you were greeted by a loud shriek; you were then pulled in a crushing hug. When the woman finally let you go she introduced herself. "Letizia, Member of White Spell 10th squad! So that's me, who are you, ah." The woman certainly was pretty: her black hair parted into two thin pigtails, her bangs neatly cut with a slight slash in them. And a straight scar with stitches in it stood strong on her pale face. "Hello? You there? Oh? You were lookin' at this beauty, ah?" Letizia pointed to her scar, "Don't think about too much, Seil got a bit excited that's all. SO? Who are you new girl, ah."<p>

"Zaiga Honalo, Byakuran-sama's new assistant." You mumbled and bowed. It's not really a position, but you had no idea how to introduce the situation other than that.

Letizia's mouth pulled into a frown, "I thought Leonardo Lippi was Byakuran-sama's assistant, ah. Are you his partner or something? I guess the paper work must be gettin' a little too much for you superior types, ah? That makes you my roommate too, ah? Well don't touch around the quarter alright. My feet are very sensitive to any rift in a room, ah"

You just stared at her, but she just kept on talking some nonsense. Being the sensible work woman you were, you couldn't keep up with whatever string of words her mouth was spewing. "Um Letizia-san I'm going to go get settled, alright." But as you went into your room the Letizia followed you.

"So I guess you met Byakuran-sama, ah? So did your eyes feast on him, I know mine do whenever I see him. He's so… so… tasty. Almost like a light fluffy taste, but with something darker in the center. Not quite bitter sweet, ah, Zaiga what do you think?"

"Hm," You paused in the middle of the room and thought about it for a minute. "You might be right. When I met him he was upbeat and cheery, like a light fluffy taste as you said. But in his words you could hear a dark scary side just waiting to be unleashed. Honestly, I was frightened. His words, while sweet, held a dark secret in them."

Letizia eyes widened and looked at you in awe, "Whoa, that's deep Zai, real deep. Well it's settled then." Letizia let herself become comfortable on your couch as you gave her another look of confusion. "Simple, since you have this deep view on Byakuran-sama, I want to hear everything, ah. You and I, my dear Zai, are going to crack open the secret that is the Millefiore boss. I think your right, there has to be something he's hiding deeper than anything we could imagine, ah. I want you to report your findings to me every day, alright!"

You sighed, seeing as Letizia wasn't going to let you get away. Certainly your life was already more interesting than it was when you worked for Torikabuto. Letizia began to speak again, which brought you back to reality. This never happened until recent, your mind was always sharp an alert. Now your mind tended to wonder off, while thinking about your boss; this wasn't good.

"So? Has Byakuran-sama asked you to do anything else besides return to your quarters?"

"Yes… He asked me to meet a man named… Leonardo Lippi-san."

"Hm. That boy, ah?" Letizia trailed off. "He's… eccentric. Like a moist towel left out in the heat to dry, he's always there when you want him least. He drips around the base, prodding at everything he sees, ah. Then when someone passes he returns to his ever dry personality. I think he's like Byakuran-sama, but different; a dry shell with a creamy dark center. He holds secrets too, ah."

You began to put two and two together, "So your saying that he has untold stories as well. But unlike an average person's stories, his and Byakuran-sama's have secrets that tell of the Millefiore family, correct?"

"No. These secrets perhaps hold most dangerous source in the world. Not joking, we are the mafia after all. It would make sense that we have some unstoppable weapon of sorts. Leonardo Lippi may hold secrets that even Byakuran-sama doesn't know. Perhaps he holds secrets about our boss as well. So, I want you to examine him too, these two and Shoichi Irie are the only three that give me this mystery feelings. So off you go, and when you return tell me everything, ah!"

* * *

><p>You were then thrown out of your room by your new roommate and sent to visit your new partner. You could feel the weight on your shoulders increasing for another new secret was just added to your growing amount. You had no idea how you would handle all this while still maintaining your duties, but hey, you supposed it would make life a whole lot more interesting, no?<p> 


	3. The Lion's Cave

Seasonal Shock

I Leoni della Grotta

(The Lion's Cave)

The male White spell housing was no different than the females; the only difference was the bored male vs. the bored female. You, who were not given the chance to change out of your uniform, shuffled over to the counter. The man gave you a look signaling you to continue. "Um, is Leonardo Lippi here? Byakuran-sama told me to meet him, I'm the new assistant. I'm not sure if he was informed of this…"

The man sighed while looking up from his book, he then picked up the phone and began dialing. "Yes, Lippi, you have a guest. Says she's here on behalf of Byakuran-sama, the new assistant… Name? I don't know! Ah… So? Does that really matter...? You what...? I think that's against the rules… Eh, since when do I care, go ahead… No, don't do that… Got it. Alright I'll tell her." The man slammed down the phone angrily while mumbling something about _damn superiors_…

"Alright you there," the man pointed you while keeping his eyes on the book. "Yeah, he says he'll meet you in his room. Just don't do anything, K? I can't afford to get fired from this job because of you. Room 274." The man threw you a visitor's card and you pushed you on your way.

* * *

><p>You later arrived at a small room at the end of the hallway. Before knocking you pressed down you uniform attempting to look decent. Then you knocked on the door. <em>No Answer… <em>You groaned. You then pushed the door open to see if it was open, which it was.

You walked in to find a dimly lit room with all the blinds closed. You gently shut the door and walked deeper, and then found Leonardo neck deep in paper work. "Hello Lippi-san. You called me up here, and you don't have the decency to welcome me. Quite rude of you." The comment had hints of both irritation and playfulness. "Anyways my name's Zaiga Honalo, nice to meet you."

Leonardo let out a little laugh as well, "I left the door open for you, didn't I? Well I'll get straight to the point. See the reason why I called you was to give you half of this." Leonardo pointed the giant stack of papers lying behind him. You looked at him in disbelief, but he could only offer you a sigh. "Despite everything, Byakuran hates doing paper work. He makes decisions when I pester him, but really it will be you and I who do most of the work. He's too busy with his Tri-Ni-Set…"

You cut him off when you heard this, "What's the Tri-Ni-Set?" You asked, while you sat down next to him. You then took a hand full of the stack next to him and looked it over. "What are these forms for?"

Leonardo took the forms from you, glanced them over, and gave them back. "Those are about the status in Japan, we need to dispatch someone over to help Irie-sama it seems. The list of white spell powers is somewhere here, and the black spell powers are on the desk." You pick up the books and begin going through them.

"Right, and about the Tri-Ni-Set?" You didn't want to seem too curious, but you couldn't help it. This could be one of the secrets Letizia was talking about.

Leonardo looked a bit uncomfortable answering your question, but he decided to in the end. "The Tri-Ni-Set is Byakuran's main focus. That's why we are sending people to Japan, and that is also the reason for all this paper work. Byakuran prefers to just daydream about it than work. I can't tell you much else, it would be better if you just asked Byakuran for yourself…"

You figured it would be best if you dropped the subject since Leonardo did. "Um, so who would you suggest from Black Spell?" You tried to change the subject and focus on your actual work. Better work than be fired for snooping. Then you began to wonder what happens to those fired form the mafia, _do they get killed for knowing too much?_

"Hm. Gamma-sama is there and he's one of the best. He's in fact the Thunder Mare Ring bearer. Then there's Genkishi-sama…" Leonardo trailed off. You began to think Letizia was perhaps a bit too spot on, since it was very clear Leonardo knew more than he let on. Though, it didn't appear that he was aware of the R.F.W. Or maybe he's toying with you and purposely letting you see his darker side. Hmm.

"Hey, um Lippi-san? What flame are you again?" You didn't need to hear about Genkishi since you already knew plenty from working with him yourself. Might as well learn a little about your new co-worker.

"My flame? It's Thunder…" You could almost feel his inward smirk, like he was laughing at a joke you didn't get. Something was off though; his flame couldn't be thunder, right? You didn't know why, but something told you that he was definitely lying.

"And yours, Honalo-san?"

You inwardly shook yourself for dazing off during work. It was one thing to want to find out their secrets, and it was another to let it take over your work. You supposed there was no harm in telling him the truth, "Its Mist." You said calmly.

"Really? Hm. Then I suppose you know who Genkishi is then, no?" You were uncomfortable; it was almost like he was lying through his teeth just to mess with you. He had this all knowing look in his eye. You just smiled and nodded at him and returned to your paper work.

Unfortunately, even though your eyes were off his, you could feel his stare on the side of your head. "Lippi-san? Why do you keep staring at me?" You asked playfully. You figured that he is your co-worker, so you shouldn't harass him for answers to soon.

"Oh? Sorry…" He wasn't that's for sure; and if you could smack the imaginary smirk of his mouth, you would be a lot calmer right now.

After five or so hours of paper work you and Leonardo had managed to finish most of the paper work. You leaned against the foot of a couch and sighed, "Well we got most of it done."

Leonardo sighed and shook his head, "No Honalo-san, by tomorrow there will be this same amount pilling up your and my desks. Heh, this is just the average work load." You groaned once again and began gathering your things.

"Alright it was nice meeting you Lippi-san, I'll just show myself out if that's ok." You picked up your supplies and received a small nod from him, "I'll take some of the left over papers with me, since you will probably spend the rest of the night finishing them.

Leonardo laughed a little, "I suppose your right, thank you." He handed you some of the left overs and you were on your way.

The doubts you had about Leonardo were forgotten. He just seemed like a simple plain boy, and it was refreshing when you thought about. Though one thing did bother you while you were heading back down the halls, because as you closed the door you heard a soft "Kufufu…"


End file.
